


Off the tracks

by tinypeckers



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Theme Park AU, more pairings to come later - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-19 13:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2389889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypeckers/pseuds/tinypeckers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Double G-Force theme park has been a part of Michael's life since he was a boy but now it's threatening to close. Can it be saved? (aka theme park au)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

_Michael held his father’s hand as the large sign loomed before them. The young boy beamed as the crazy lights dazzled him. It read, “Double G-force amusement park.” Michael felt the excitement bubble up inside his tiny body as his father handed their tickets to the man at their booth. Michael could just see over the top of the ledge and he smiled at the teenager that took their ticket. He did not smile back but it did not dishearten Michael for he was going to enter the place he’d dreamed about for months. He’d read all about it in the paper and was particularly fascinated by one ride – the rollercoaster. His father had put off this day for what seemed like forever and he had had so many reasons not to come but finally the day was here._

_Michael skipped inside with his father in tow but he had to pause to take in the atmosphere. The amusement park was crowded and he breathed in deeply so that he could remember the smell later. Popcorn, fresh flowers and a hint of sick filled his nostrils and Michael couldn’t have thought of a better smell. Michael could hear screams and giggles as the other people of the park experienced the rides. It all seemed so huge to Michael and he dragged his father towards the map so he could find the one thing he was looking for. Michael dropped his father’s hand to press his palms against the cool glass. His father scolded him as he pressed his face against it too. His eyes homed in on the ride he’d been anticipating. It was just off to the left, currently hidden from Michael’s view by some trees._

_Michael ran through the crowds to get to it and he almost lost his father on numerous occasions. But his steps never faltered and his excitement never faded. Michael’s excitement increased tenfold as he finally stood at the bottom of the rollercoaster. Michael looked up. It was covered in bright lights, much like the sign, and Michael couldn’t help the excited giggle when he read the name. Lazer. The rollercoaster of the century. A gust of wind tugged at his clothes and his hair as a cart whizzed by him. Michael all but demanded his dad take him into the line. From there he watched the carts go by and he admired how tall the roller coaster was. Michael couldn’t wait to ride it._

oOo

 

In the early morning, the roller coaster was bland. The lights were off and no carts were running as Michael yawned. He’d stayed at the park late the night before and it was showing. He sluggishly unlocked the gate to step onto the platform. Michael closed the gate behind him and pocketed his keys. He stretched before he surveyed the carts. The rollercoaster had eight carts that seated two people with a safety bar over their waist. There were four carts at the front and four at the back. The carts were separated by one seat in the middle – Michael’s seat. The roller coaster hadn’t been updated, save for a paint job and basic repairs, since Michael had rode it many years before and Michael loved that fact.

 

 

Michael peered into each cart to check that they were clean and he patted each one lovingly as he did so. The carts were painted a blue as dark as the deep ocean. A thin racing stripe in a lighter shade of blue cut across the middle. Lazer was his baby, or so Michael had nicknamed it, and he wanted to make sure it was in tip-top condition. Satisfied with its cleanliness, Michael sat in his chair. In front of him were the breaks and the sole reason that the rollercoaster didn’t fly off of the track every time. Michael couldn’t go anywhere without his partner – who was late – so instead he took a moment to relax into the seat.

 

 

As Michael lost himself in staring at nothing in particular, his partner arrived. Michael knew this by the amount of noise he brought. Michael turned to face him just to watch the tall, lanky brunet go tumbling over the gate. It seemed that he’d tried to climb it and had lost his balance when the gate swung open.

“It’s open, dumbass.” Michael told him just a little too late. Gavin, his partner, scowled as he stood up and brushed himself off.

“I knew that.” Gavin lied. Michael laughed at him.

“You’re late. How are you always late? You live literally just off site.” Michael questioned. Gavin shrugged with a shy smile.

“Geoff made some nice breakfast. I had to have seconds.” Gavin confessed.

“You’re a greedy fucker.” Michael scoffed. “Well, c’mon – where’s mine?” Michael demanded.

 

 

Gavin grinned as he retrieved a small baggy from his pocket. The bag had steamed up a little but Michael could see that it contained some bacon and a flattened portion of scrambled eggs. He reached out for it as Gavin offered it to him and didn’t hesitate to open it up and eat with his hands.

“Now who’s the greedy bugger?” Gavin teased as he fell into the cart in front of him.

“Shut up.” Michael mumbled through a mouthful of food.

“When you’re done pigging out, are you going to do a test run?” Gavin asked.

“I do not pig out.” Michael said defensively as he finished his food. He lazily threw the bag in the general direction of the trash can and frowned when it didn’t go in. Michael didn’t stand to retrieve it though. Gavin frowned at it but made no move to grab it either. They’d have to clean it up before the park opened. “Give me a push then, idiot.” Michael commanded as he grabbed the break. Gavin beamed as he stood and grabbed one of the carts.

“Ready?” Gavin asked.

“I’m always ready.” Michael declared before Gavin began to run and push the carts along.

 

oOo

 

The day had been long and both Gavin’s and Michael’s muscles ached. Throughout the day they had swapped between controlling the ride and giving it the initial push. Gavin groaned as he stretched his sore arms. His hand collided with Michael’s equally as sore shoulder and the boy let out a yelp.

“Careful!” Michael hissed as he rubbed his shoulder. Gavin looked at him guiltily.

“I’m sorry, Michael.”Gavin murmured. Michael accepted his apology silently as they walked through the now empty park. It wasn’t much of a difference from when it had been open. The appeal of the amusement park had slowly worn off with rarely any new rides being added. Their customers now consisted of the rare tourist and families who just wanted something to do. It was a huge change from when Michael used to visit the park.

 

 

“There you are!” Someone called from seemingly nowhere. Gavin and Michael turned to see their friend Ray walk towards them. Ray ran some of the games booths in the food court. Unsurprisingly, he was one of the rare few who could actually win at them. Ray ran his hand absent-mindedly through his dark hair as he neared his friends. Gavin winced as Ray punched him lightly on the arm. “Vav!” He greeted cheerfully and was not deterred by Gavin’s expression, “Michael.” Ray nodded as he smiled at his other friend.

 “Why are you hanging so late?” Michael asked curiously. Ray was usually the first to arrive and the first to leave.

“Geoff called a meeting.” Ray explained. Michael and Gavin shared a look.

“Oh, we didn’t hear about that.” Gavin muttered.

“Yeah, he just called it. That’s why I came to find you.” Ray explained. Gavin and Michael shared looks as they finally understood.

 

oOo

 

Geoff and Griffon’s living room was crowded with their employees. Geoff and Griffon selfishly hogged the couch and Jack had claimed the armchair long before anybody else had arrived. Joel and Adam stood side by side. The two men juxtaposed each other. Joel was so tall he had to bend his neck just slightly so that he didn’t bump it upon the ceiling. He was stick thin also. Adam, though far from short, did not compare to Joel’s height and was slightly wider with a beard bigger than Jack’s. Barbara, head of refreshments, stood beside them and talked with the red-haired girl named Lindsay from the children’s section of the park. Kdin, who ran the ticket booths, was pressed up beside Lindsay in the limited space and he was almost holding hands with Matt from the log flume. Jeremy, head of the haunted house, had secured himself quite a bit of space and was not allowing anybody else into it. Ryan, the main maintenance and engineer, boldly took up as much space as possible.

 

 

When Ray, Michael and Gavin arrived they were forced to stand opposite the others in the limited space. There was a strange tension in the room and for once it was almost silent. Michael, Gavin and Ray looked nervously at their boss. Geoff was staring at the floor as his fingers curled uselessly around his limp moustache. It was never a good day when Geoff didn’t spend hours styling it. Griffon fiddled with her long blonde hair as she chewed her lip, back rigid and feet fidgeting uselessly. They had something important to declare and everyone knew it. Michael was growing frustrated with the lack of noise and he took it upon himself to break it.

 

 

“So, what’s up?” He asked boldly into the near silence. The owners of the park jumped at his voice. Something flashed through their eyes and it was as though the couple finally realised that everyone was waiting upon them. Geoff cleared his throat. Michael waited for the ball to drop.

“We have something to say.” He said airily. Michael rolled his eyes at the vagueness of it.

“You’re not going to like it.” Griffon added. The tension seemed to double with her words.

“The park... it isn’t doing so well. We’re not generating enough money.” Geoff began.

“If we don’t start increasing our profits… in the next month the park will close."


	2. What to do?

_The gardens are beautiful. That is the first thing Michael thinks as he stands at the edge of them. It’s his third or maybe his fourth time visiting the park and yet he hasn’t seen them until now. The path that leads into them is made up of beige stone and Michael finds himself following it without thinking. Carefully trimmed and pretty bushes align each side. The path goes straight for a little while before it breaks off into several smaller, though no less pretty, pathways. Michael pauses in the centre and gazes at each pathway in turn to help him decide._

_To his left he can hear the rushing of water, most likely from a waterfall or a pond. Michael contemplates that first pathway as he looks to the next. The bushes change here and give way to flowers but Michael has never been one for foliage. The next path is the middle path and it is bordered by a white, wooden archway that vines are just starting to climb up. To the right of that path the next one is lined with trees. The final path is just like the one Michael has just walked down, lined with neatly trimmed bushes. Curious about the water, Michael decides to take the first path._

_Michael is immediately glad about his decision. He’s barely made it a few steps into this pathway when he catches sight of a statue made of wood. It depicts a powerful horse and is carved beautifully. Michael finds himself staring up at it in awe before he decides to move on. He is pleasantly surprised when he finds more of these statues. They’re all different and equally as beautiful. There’s a totem pole and an old, wise owl followed by a bird with wings spread and ready for flight. Michael is in awe of them all and several times he stumbles because he’s too busy looking up to realise where he’s walking. The air smells pure and yet at the same time rustic and the statues are smooth beneath his curious fingers._

_Eventually, Michael finds the source of the rushing water sounds. As Michael had assumed it was coming from a waterfall. The waterfall was built into a large collection of smooth, pretty rocks and split around a large boulder to create two streams that met at the pool at the bottom. Satisfied, Michael made to turn before another statue caught his eye. This time it was of a mermaid and Michael couldn’t help but wander over to it. It was situated oddly towards the back of the waterfall and Michael wanted to know why._

_Michael smiled up at the wooden mermaid as he approached. Upon closer inspection it revealed that there was a small walkway behind the waterfall and Michael had to take a look. Michael could see a gate at the end and he briefly wondered where it led to when someone popped out. The lady was beautiful with short brunet hair and something shiny in her nose. Michael was about to bolt before she smiled._

oOo

 

 

“I’m sorry but what?” Barbara all but screeched in surprise. Geoff and Griffon swallowed in unison as the rest of their employees stood in silent shock.

“We’ve known for a while that we weren’t generating much from this but it’s never been this serious. We’re going to have to find a way to get money out of thin air or something or this whole park is going under.” Griffon admitted gravely. The room fell silent again and as everyone took their time to let the news sink in.

 

 

“Close it?” Michael’s voice was weak and it cracked as he looked to Griffon expectantly. Michael cared deeply for the amusement park, perhaps more than Geoff and Griffon themselves. Griffon looked pained as she stood and made her way over to Michael. She pulled on Michael’s shoulders gently and he willingly fell into her embrace. Michael’s eyes watered as she pulled him close, tugging the young man away from everyone’s curious stares. As the door closed behind the pair, everyone turned their attention to Geoff. He was their leader, after all. He’d been there for some of them for as little as a few months but others like Jack, Joel and Adam he’d been with them for years.

 

 

“What are we going to do?” Jack asked gravely. Geoff shrugged hopelessly. Though he wasn’t a known quitter, it was as though he’d already accepted defeat.

“We could fundraise!” Lindsay suddenly chirped excitedly. Everyone turned to look at her. “You know, like do events and stuff.” Lindsay’s confidence seemed to leave her under everyone’s judging gazes. The room was silent again for another few minutes but the silence didn’t feel as heavy. It seemed as if everyone was thinking, contemplating Lindsay’s idea.

“It could work.” Adam murmured kindly.

 

 

“It’s not a terrible idea.” Joel chirped. Geoff chewed his lip before he gave a small, thoughtful nod.

“Okay… I’ll talk it over with Griffon. We’ll talk more in depth about it tomorrow. Until then, why don’t you all try and think of ideas on how we could fundraise?” Geoff suggested and everyone nodded and murmured their agreement. “I suppose you’re all dismissed.” Geoff waved them away. Slowly, everyone began to disperse. Ray said good bye to Gavin as he slipped out before anyone else. Lindsay and Barbara left together, muttering under their breath and seemingly trying to come up with ideas. Joel and Adam hung back just a little before leaving with the others. After a few minutes only Jack, Gavin and Geoff were left.

 

 

“I suppose I should head over to my house.” Jack says suddenly as he begins to lift himself from his armchair. As the groundskeeper, Jack lives nearby Geoff and Griffon in a much smaller house. Geoff stands with him and stops Jack with a gentle hand upon his chest.

“No, stay – I’ll cook some dinner.” Geoff promises. Jack heaves a sigh before he leaves. Gavin, usually full of energy and excitement, stands oddly quiet in the corner of the room.

“Gav, do you want to help?” Geoff asks sweetly. Gavin blinks at him owlishly as he snaps out of his own thoughts. The Brit nods and manages a weak smile as he follows Geoff into the kitchen. Jack, feeling awkward by himself, follows them both.

 

oOo

 

“It can’t close, I won’t let it close-“ Michael rambled into Griffon’s shoulder as she held him close. The moment he was out of everyone else’s prying eyes he’d given up his pride and bawled into the older women’s shoulder. Griffon felt exactly as he did but she was much better at keeping her emotions in check. They had escaped to Geoff and Griffon’s bedroom and they’d both perched on the edge of the bed. Except now Michael was almost sitting in her lap. His legs were swung over Griffon’s and his butt was mere centimetres away from resting upon her thigh. Griffon didn’t mind though, in fact she encouraged it as she rubbed Michael’s back soothingly.

“It’s going to be okay, Michael.” Griffon reassured the boy.

 

 

“No it’s not!” Michael spat as he lifted himself up from Griffon’s shoulder. “It’s not going to be okay and you know it. You saw Geoff, he looked absolutely defeated! The park is going to close.” Michael wailed. Griffon clicked her tongue.

“There’s no use getting worked up about it. I’m sure we’ll find something, Michael. We’ll try our hardest.” Griffon reassured him. Michael scoffed and wiped his eyes.

“That doesn’t mean we’ll save it.” Michael replied bitterly. Griffon heaved a sigh.

“You’re right, that doesn’t mean we’ll save it. But we can have fun trying.” Griffon tried to reason.

“And then what? We’re all going to get normal jobs and be done with it?” Michael growled. He was startled when Griffon laughed musically.

 

 

“Sure, we’ll all get different jobs but I doubt we’ll ever be done with it Michael. I don’t think anyone here can go a day without gossiping with each other.” Griffon said fondly. “Even if we work at different places, we’ll still have enchilada night and Geoff and I will always be stuck with Gavin.” Griffon laughed again. Even Michael snickered a little.

“I bet Barbara would work in a bakery.” Michael added to the fantasy.

“Yeah and we’d try and get discount off of her cupcakes.” Griffon teased and Michael laughed properly then. Griffon smiled, thankful that Michael had cheered up just a little.

“No matter what happens Michael, we’ll be fine.” Griffon reassured. Michael nodded. Yeah, he supposed they would.


	3. Chapter 3

_By the time Michael has rode Lazer at least a few dozen times, he’s starving. His father warns him that he might not be able to go onto the ride so quickly after eating but Michael brushes him aside. He’s got an iron stomach. The food court is so busy that Michael can’t even see somewhere for him to sit. It’s crowded by families with rowdy children and a few teenagers just hanging out. The line for each food stand is long but Michael would wait forever just for a hot dog. That’s all he can smell though Michael is sure they’re cooking other things._

_The stands are all brightly coloured and decorated in lights much like everything else in the park. They’re freshly painted, it seems, and Michael stares in awe at all the intricate details carved into them. He briefly wanders if they’re by the lady who makes the wooden sculptures before he concludes that it must be. One stall, the one he’s in line for, has hot dogs carved into it. The one to the left as candy floss and lollypops carved into it. The right is decorated with burgers and fries and Michael briefly wanders how long it took to decorate the stands. He doesn’t wonder about it for long until his distracted by his growling stomach._

_Michael can hear the annoying, repetitive music of the games to his right. He turns to watch an employee show a guest how it’s done only to watch him fail. Michael laughs as he brushes it off with an awkward smile and a few jokes. He’s never seen anybody win those things and he’s not sure he ever will. The line shuffles and Michael finds himself closer to the food. The smell gets stronger with every step and Michael’s stomach rumbles. Suddenly he finds that he’s ordering and his dad is huffing about the price of the food as he buys Michael his hot dog._

_Michael can’t find it within him to care as the hot dog is handed to him. It’s wrapped in some napkins and it’s warm to the touch. Michael wanders over to the ketchup and mustard and smothers his hot dog in the sauces as his father looks on disappointingly. Michael smiles as he lifts the sausage to his mouth and takes a big bite. Michael hums in content around his food. He thinks it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted._

oOo

 

The food court isn’t quite as busy as it had once been. Most of the benches are empty and the lines have never been as long as they were many years ago. The food carts have lost their colour after being left to fade for a number of years. Griffon and Geoff keep swearing they’ll fix them up but neither of them ever find the time. There used to be at least three or four employees to a cart but now there’s only one to each cart. The food hasn’t changed and neither have the prices which were once so expensive and now seem so ridiculously cheap. That’s what draws most of the guests to the carts and what repels some of them. They think that because it’s cheap it’s terrible and so most families tend to bring their own picnics now.

 

 

Barbara is in charge of the candy cart. She keeps it neat and tidy and sometimes, if she’s had the time, she dedicated a corner to her cupcakes. Barbara doesn’t sell them, she merely hands them out as a gift to anyone who purchases from her cart. It’s more likely that the cupcakes will go to someone like Lindsay who took advantage of her lunch break to steal as many of the sweet treats as she can. Barbara shakes her head at her as Lindsay licks the icing off of her second cake.

“You ought to save some of them for the guests, you know.” Barbara says knowingly as Lindsay stares up at her. Lindsay grins around her icing and shakes her head.

“Screw them; I wait all day for these cakes.” Lindsay says. Barbara laughs at her.

 

 

They stand together in silence for a while before Barbara starts thinking. She can’t get the fact that the park could close down soon out of her head.

“I can’t believe that in a month we might not be working here anymore.” Barbara sighs. Lindsay pouts at her as she takes a bite out of her cake.

“You can’t think like that Barb.” Lindsay says around a mouthful of cake, “You need to start thinking about fundraising stuff.” Lindsay reminds her. Barbara looks expectantly at the other girl.

“Oh, have you started thinking about it?” Barbara questions. Lindsay shrugs.

“I’ve got a couple of ideas.” Lindsay murmurs after she swallows.

 

 

“Like what?” Barbara asks. Lindsay seems to think about it for a second.

“Well I was thinking we could do like a little fair thing. Y’know like dunk Geoff for a dollar or something. Maybe we could challenge someone to beat Ray at those damn games.” Lindsay rambles on as she nods to where Ray is practising. There’s a couple of guests just watching him in awe as he manages to win yet again. Barbara snorts.

“We’d never make money from someone beating Ray – he’s the only one that can do those things.” Barbara reminds her. Lindsay shrugs again.

“Yeah, I suppose. But the fair idea seems cool.” Lindsay says. Barbara hums in thought.

 

 

“Yeah, it does.” Barbara agrees with her friend as she picks up a cake for herself. She tended to comfort eat when she was worried. As she scooped some icing onto her finger, a thought occurred to her. Lindsay stared at her in confusion as Barbara’s smile brightened. “I could sell these!” Barbara suddenly exclaimed. Lindsay’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, you’d get some money for them. People love ‘em.” Lindsay said as Barbara nodded affirmatively. Barbara noticed Lindsay looking at her coyly. “Though, you know friend discount and all.” Lindsay murmured. Barbara laughed.

“Yeah, friend discount – of course.” Barbara patted her friend’s arm as she smiled.

 

oOo

 

“Fundraising?” Griffon questioned as Geoff explained what they’d talked about the night before. Griffon had spent most of her night cheering up Michael and she’d only left him alone once she’d tucked him into the guest bedroom. She had refused to let him drive home in such a state. After Michael and Gavin had left for the day (Gavin actually left on time thanks to Michael) Geoff had sat her down to talk. Griffon waited for her husband to elaborate but he only sighed.

“Yeah, it was Lindsay’s idea.” Geoff said. Griffon nodded.

“But what could we do exactly?” Griffon asked.

 

 

Geoff shrugged – he was at a loss there. He didn’t have the slightest idea how to fundraise and he was counting on their employees to come up with that bit. Griffon chewed her lip as she mulled the idea over. Geoff watched as she seemed to come to a conclusion.

“I could sell some of my work…” Griffon suggested apprehensively. Geoff gasped at the mere notion.

“What? You said you’d never sell your statues – they were just for fun!” Geoff cried aloud. Griffon nodded and chewed at her nails nervously.

“Yes, I know but people are interested in them and it’s something.” Griffon murmured.

 

 

Geoff wasn’t so sure he was comfortable with this idea. Griffon’s statues were her pride and joy and he knew that she cared for each one. It was a feat just for the blonde to even suggest selling them.

“Are you sure you could do that?” Geoff asked worriedly. He didn’t want to force his wife to do something she’d regret but, unfortunately, they needed the money. Griffon smiled.

“Of course I could if it was to save the park. This place is as much of our baby as Gavin and Michael are to us.” Griffon cooed. Geoff snorted.

“Neither of them are our babies, Griffon.” Geoff reminded her. Griffon frowned.

“Geoffrey, how could you be so blind? One lives with us and we practically raised the other one considering how much he hung out here.” Griffon chuckled.

 

 

Geoff had to laugh at that because it was so undeniably true.

“You’re right.” He murmured with a fond smile. Griffon smiled with him before it faltered.

“We have to save this place Geoff. It is as much a home to everyone who works here as it is to us.” Griffon said sadly. Geoff nodded in agreement with her.

“Don’t worry, we’ll sort something out. We’ve lasted this long – we can last a little longer.”


	4. Chapter 4

_Michael sat at the breakfast table reading the newspaper. It was the weekend and he was about to head out to the theme park yet again. He didn’t pay anymore, not since he’d become friends with the owners Griffon and Geoff. So Michael had taken to just hanging out there on the weekends and then visiting their home behind the waterfall in the evenings. Michael liked it there, loved it even, and he couldn’t have thought of a more perfect place to be. His friends had grown bored of it by now so Michael found himself often going alone. That didn’t deter him though because even now, a few years since his first visit, it was just as magical. At least, it was to Michael._

_The same magic apparently did not appeal to everyone else. Though the theme park was still fairly popular, there were some who criticized it and demanded that it be updated. Michael sighed as he read one critic’s review of the park in the morning newspaper. His father had casually mentioned that there was something about Double G-Force in there and Michael had naturally snatched the paper from his hands. Michael muttered to himself as he read the critic’s harsh words and he practically rolled his eyes when he saw that the critic had interviewed one of Double G-Force’s rivals._

_There was a picture of their rival himself. Thomas Bradley, owner of Bradley’s family resorts and a man Michael didn’t know and yet despised. Bradley wore a brown toupee and was on the larger side, his shirt struggling to contain his gut. Bradley had a moustache much like Geoff’s but Michael had always thought that Geoff’s was far superior. He owned several theme parks and often liked to lord this over the Ramseys who honestly couldn’t care less. But he was rude and he often bashed them and spoke of buying their park and converting it into one of his own. Michael knew that Geoff and Griffon would never let him do that but he still hated the man for even suggesting it._

_Michael slammed the newspaper down onto the table and ignored his father’s disapproving clicks of his tongue. Michael apologised with an awkward expression before he left to go and get his things so that he could leave. Though he was mad at the mere thought of someone buying the park, he knew that it wouldn’t happen. Michael had confidence that double g-force and Lazer would stand forever._

oOo

 

Geoff often loved to walk around his park and simply admire it. It brought him great joy to see what had started as sketches in his wife’s sketchbook come to life. He’d always wanted to own a crazy theme park and it had been Griffon who had made it a reality for him. It saddened Geoff to know that they might not have it for much longer. He hated to think of the park closing and being left to rot in the Texas sun. As Geoff fell victim to his sad thoughts, somebody tapped him upon his shoulder. The man jumped at the touch before quickly correcting himself and plastering on a smile. He turned to face the guest who’d tried to catch his attention but his expression quickly turned sour when he saw who it was.

 

 

Though he’d aged quite a bit since Geoff had last seen him, it was quite clearly Thomas Bradley standing before him. Bradley, who had not been blessed with much hair even before, had forgone the toupee and was now almost bald. Wisps of white hair gathered around his head and his moustache drooped with age. What he lacked in youth, Bradley more than made up for in girth. His stomach seemed almost twice its old size and Geoff was sure he could count yet another chin.

“Geoffrey!” Bradley chirped irritatingly cheerfully.

“Thomas.” Geoff said through gritted teeth. He had half the mind to have the man kicked from the premises considering the commotion he’d caused the last time he’d paid Double G-Force a visit.

“How funny that I bumped into you here!” Bradley chuckled. Geoff frowned.

“It’s not that funny, Thomas – this is my park after all.” Geoff reminded the man.

 

 

Bradley suddenly grew sad and Geoff flinched as a large hand clapped heavily upon his shoulder.

“Not for long, I hear. There are rumours you’re running out of the money to keep this place up.” Bradley said with false sympathy. Geoff only scowled.

“That is none of your business.” Geoff growled at the man before him. Bradley nodded.

“I know, I know – it must be embarrassing.” Bradley remarked.

“Not really.” Geoff muttered. He hated the unpleasantness that always came along with the man standing before him.

“Now now, I know how you must feel but, dear Geoffrey, I have an offer that might make it all better.” Bradley said sinisterly and though Geoff hated himself for it, he felt intrigued.

“Is that so?” Geoff prompted. His stomach knotted at the sight of Bradley’s triumphant smirk.

 

oOo

 

Michael yet again found himself eating at the Ramsey’s (along with Jack) because he was far too worried to return to his apartment. He was sure that his neighbours were wondering where he was and yet Michael didn’t care enough to tell them. Instead, Michael turned to burying his feelings into Geoff’s delicious dinner and tuning into the small talk around him.

“So, we had a rather strange guest at the park today.” Geoff announced nonchalantly around his peas. Michael looked up from where he sat, palm pressed against his cheek rather rudely.

“Are you talking about that kid dressed as a jedi? He cried after riding Lazer.” Gavin interrupted with a giggle. Griffon scolded him for being so nasty and Gavin shrugged apologetically. “What? It was funny, wasn’t it Michael?” Gavin asked his co-worker with a grin. It was true, Michael had laughed, but he was preoccupied by Geoff’s odd expression.

 

 

“Who visited?” Michael asked curtly as he toyed with his food. Geoff looked at him warily.

“Thomas Bradley.” Geoff said in an almost amused tone. The theme park owner jumped when Michael stabbed his food violently with his fork. Michael was scolded much like Gavin for his behaviour but he couldn’t seem to care. Geoff had pushed his chair away from the table as though he was scared Michael would go for him. Jack was watching the two men warily.

“What did he want?” Michael practically spat.

“He made an offer on the park, a very good one at that honestly and,” Geoff rambled but the sound of Michael slamming his palms against the table cut him off mid sentence.

“No.”

 

 

“Michael, I told him I’d consider it – it is an option, after all.” Geoff explained to the boy. Michael’s chair screeched as he pushed it back.  He towered over the table and glowered angrily at the man on the other end of it. Gavin was cowering just slightly and both Jack and Griffon looked ready to jump in lest there be a fight.

“It is not an option.” Michael growled. Geoff sighed heavily.

“It is, Michael, if we can’t raise enough money to keep the park.” Geoff reasoned with the other man. Michael shook his head in denial.

“We’ll raise enough money.” Michael said confidently.

“We’ll try, Michael.” Geoff replied. Michael seemed to mull the man’s words over for a moment before he came to a conclusion.

“I’ll work for free until then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot tell you how much I despise the character of Thomas Bradley. I tried to create the most sleazy, unappealing character in the world and he makes me cringe while writing him so I think I succeeded in doing that for myself.


	5. Chapter 5

_Michael had never been invited over to Geoff and Griffon’s for a sleepover before. It was an experience that, unfortunately, he had to share. Geoff had suggested the idea after he announced to Michael that their English friend’s son would be coming to stay with them for the summer. The boy, just a year younger than Michael, had arrived early that morning and Geoff thought having Michael around would help him settle in better. Michael’s parents had readily agreed and took the chance to finally take advantage of the free theatre tickets they’d never had the time to redeem._

_Michael watched the world roll by eagerly as his father drove around the park. Michael had never entered Geoff and Griffon’s house from this way. He smiled as he saw the highest track of Lazer peek over the fence that surrounded the park. He pointed this out to his father who offered a noncommittal grunt in reply. His father had long since gotten over the hype of Double G-Force park. The theme park gave away to a small residential clearing beside it. There were only two houses, one that Michael knew to be Geoff and Griffon’s home and the other the house that Jack (their groundskeeper) lived in. Much like the park’s gardens, Geoff and Griffon’s front lawn was decorated beautifully. Michael sat in awe as his father’s car rolled onto the drive._

_Michael was scolded as he leapt from the car mere seconds before it came to a stop. He grabbed his backpack and sleeping back and bolted for the front door while his father trudged behind him. It seemed that Geoff and Griffon had psychic abilities because they opened the door before Michael could knock. Michael beamed as his father exchanged pleasantries with them. Michael was sure his father had said goodbye but he was too excited to reply. Griffon invited him in and Michael ran past her giddily._

_The Ramsey’s home always smelled like Geoff’s homemade cooking and today was no exception. It smelt like cookies fresh from the oven and Michael followed the smell into the kitchen. He was startled by the boy who sat at their dining table eating what Michael had deemed his cookies. The boy blinked back at him owlishly as Michael stared. His hair wasn’t quite brown and yet nor was it blonde and his eyes were as green as the grass outside. Michael wasn’t sure what to think of the boy until he smiled and pushed the plate of cookies towards Michael._

_“These are good.” The boy said in a foreign accent around a cookie. Michael grinned. Anyone who could appreciate Geoff’s cooking was a friend of his._

oOo

 

“I’ll work for free.” Michael repeated with more confidence this time.

“Michael, we can’t in good conscience let you do that.” Griffon immediately replied.

“I’m not giving you a choice.” Michael ground out. Geoff rolled his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.

“You’re acting childish.” Geoff scolded. Michael glared at the man in front of him.

“I am not!” Michael almost whined. He was not doing well to convince Geoff otherwise.

“Michael, we are not going to let you work for free.” Geoff said sternly while Michael practically pouted.

“I am not going to take any money you give me; I’m just going to give it back.” Michael spat. He would not back down. He had made his decision and he wasn’t going to change his mind. Michael was stubborn like that.

 

 

“You’re definitely being childish, Michael.”Gavin decided to add. Michael glared at him.

“That’s rich coming from the guy who still sleeps with his teddy bear.” Michael growled spitefully. Gavin had the nerve to look hurt and it irritated Michael.

“Michael Jones, that’s enough.” Griffon said suddenly. Her tone was stern and strict and it was enough to make both Michael and Gavin drop their heads guiltily. Griffon hadn’t spoken to either of them like that since they were kids and Michael immediately felt bad. “Michael, you can’t refuse your pay.” Griffon continued.

“But I want to.” Michael quipped. He was silenced by a glare from Griffon.

“I know you want to but you can’t. You live in an apartment, Michael. You have bills to pay and food to buy.” Griffon reminded him. Michael sighed heavily, she was right. “But, if you are so adamant about it, you can work for free. On one condition.” Griffon added when Michael made to celebrate prematurely.

 

 

“Anything, I’ll even move back into my parent’s house if I have to.” Michael said. Griffon snorted.

“That won’t be necessary. If you must work for free, you are welcome to move into our home. That way I know that you’re healthy, fed and more importantly not homeless.” Griffon said with concern. Michael immediately perked up at the idea. Geoff raised a sceptical eyebrow.

“You’d have to share a room with Gavin.” Geoff added to see if it would dampen Michael’s excitement. He did not expect both Michael and Gavin to clap their hands in celebration.

“Oh Michael, it’ll be just like when we were kids!” Gavin giggled. Geoff caught Jack’s eye, who had been all but forgotten at the table, and rolled his eyes at the ginger’s smirk. Griffon had been right; Gavin and Michael were their children.

 

oOo

 

Michael found it fairly easy to cancel his lease with his apartment. The hard part was moving all of his things.

“Since when did I have so much stuff?” Michael complained as he carried a box down the narrow stairs in his apartment complex. Griffon laughed as she followed him. Griffon was carrying Michael’s box of ‘memorabilia’ and she stuck her hand inside to retrieve a snow globe. It was one with a miniature Lazer ornament inside and something they’d long since stopped selling at the park.

“You have so much stuff because you refuse to throw anything out.” Griffon explained to him, shaking the snow globe to prove her point. Michael scoffed and shifted the weight of his box to one arm so that he could swipe at the snow globe. Griffon let him take it easily and she shook her head at the way Michael cradled it close to his chest.

 

 

“Where did you get this van from?” Michael questioned as he and Griffon left the building with the first lot of boxes. He’d barely finished his sentence before Ryan peered around the side of it.

“It’s mine.” The engineer explained as he slid opened the van’s door and easily took the box from Michael’s hands. Michael watched as Ryan pushed it to the back and he snickered as Ryan tried to take the box from Griffon. Griffon refused his help naturally and hip-checked Ryan out of the way to push it in. Ryan held his hands up in surrender as Griffon stepped back. She grinned.

“Don’t look so startled, Ryan – you know I like to do things myself.” Griffon cooed as she pet her engineer’s cheek. Ryan scowled and ducked his head away playfully. Griffon laughed at him before turning to face Michael.

“C’mon, I want to get back to the house.” Griffon emphasised her words with a clap of her hands.

 

 

Between the two of them it didn’t take long to clear out Michael’s stuff.

“I can sell all of the stuff I don’t need and that’ll help go towards the park too.” Michael said cheerily as he climbed into Griffon’s car. Griffon shook her head.

“You’re such a sweetheart, Michael.” She teased as the auburn haired man frowned.

“I’m not a sweetheart.” Michael retorted. Griffon only laughed at him. “I’m not!” Michael declared.

“Okay, okay – you’re not.” Griffon agreed with him if only to rid the man of his pout. Michael noticed that she smirked but he decided to let it drop. She had verbally agreed and that counted as a victory to him.

 

oOo

 

“Look Michael, I made your bed!” Gavin cried happily when Michael finally arrived to his new home. Gavin had indeed made Michael’s bed which was identical to Gavin’s own. Michael was thankful that Geoff had never thrown out the spare bed in Gavin’s room though this was the first time Michael had seen it in years. Up until now the bed had been used as Gavin’s laundry basket.

“It looks great, Gav – thanks. I was worried I had to sleep amongst your clothes.” Michael teased. Gavin gasped in shock and shook his head adamantly.

“Nah, you’d share my bed before I stuffed you in with my stinky socks Michael.” Gavin said kindly.

“I think I’d stick with the socks.” Michael laughed. He ducked out of the way as Gavin threw one at him. One sock quickly turned into several more and the two men fell to the ground in fits of laughter.

 

 

Geoff, Jack, Ryan and Griffon had been relaxing downstairs. All four of them looked up when they heard a thump followed by Gavin and Michael’s laughter. Geoff shook his head in disdain.

“I think by the end of this you’re going to have some trouble getting either of them to move out.” Ryan murmured.

“Who said I want them to move out?” Griffon asked, hurt. Jack and Ryan looked to Geoff and laughed at his expression. He looked at his wife worriedly.

“I hope you don’t mean that.” Geoff said gravely and Griffon just smirked.

“We’ll see how this goes. It’ll be like having little ten year old Gavin and Michael all over again!” Griffon gushed and Geoff groaned.

“I hope not, I do not have the funds to replace everything they break.” Geoff muttered as everyone else laughed at him.


	6. Chapter 6

_Gavin had been at the Ramsey’s for a week now and honestly, Michael hadn’t really left either. The two boys had split their time between the theme park and the guest bedroom. Michael had stayed over for the third night in a row and he and Gavin had stumbled out of bed with the promise of breakfast. Michael lead the way, being more familiar with the house than Gavin was, and Gavin held onto his shirt to avoid falling behind. The two boys wandered aimlessly into the kitchen and they both took a seat at the dining table before they realised that there was another guest._

_“Who are you?” Michael asked the blond man rudely. The man laughed at him and smiled._

_“I’m Ryan, I’m here to design the new haunted house.” Ryan explained kindly to the boy._

_“The house is haunted?” Gavin whispered suddenly from beside Michael. Ryan laughed again and it unnerved Gavin. Michael puffed out his chest a little as Gavin cowered behind him._

_“Not this house, Gavin. Ryan is talking about the new attraction.” Geoff explained as he began to place the food out in front of his guests. “Ryan is the guy that designs all of our rides – even Lazer.” Geoff said with a knowing nod towards Michael._

_“You designed that?” Michael cried excitedly. Ryan nodded. “Cool!” Michael exclaimed._

_Gavin, seeing Michael’s excitement, had grown a little bolder now as he picked at his breakfast._

_“So where’s the haunted house?” Gavin asked. Ryan shrugged._

_“That’s what I’m here for – we’re deciding where it goes.” He said. Gavin frowned._

_“Do the ghosts follow the house?” Gavin asked innocently. Geoff snickered while Ryan tried his hardest not to laugh along with him._

_“It’s not really a haunted house, it’s a ride.” Ryan told Gavin. Gavin nodded in understanding._

_“So it’s a lie?” Gavin questioned. Ryan had to giggle then._

_“I guess it is.” He said with a smirk. Gavin shook his head._

_“You’re not supposed to lie.” Gavin said sternly to Ryan._

_“I’ll keep that in mind.” Ryan smiled._

oOo

 

“This thing needs some major repairs.” Ryan sighed as he surveyed the haunted house in the light.

“Yeah, it really does.” Jeremy agreed as he wandered behind Ryan. He’d called upon the engineer to help him out when one of the zombies had crashed and fallen to the ground.

“We might have to close it.” Ryan stated. While it was one of their more popular attractions, second only to Lazer, the haunted house was old and waning. It was just as much Ryan’s baby as it was Jeremy’s. The younger man pouted and affectionately pet one of the werewolf animatronics.

“We could use it one last time.” Jeremy said deviously. Ryan turned to face him, his eyebrows raised.

“Jeremy, it’s a health hazard at this point.” Ryan said. Jeremy shrugged.

“I mean, not as an actual ride but like as a haunted maze with actors and stuff. I’m sure Joel and Adam will be up for it and you’re creepy enough.” Jeremy joked.

“Very funny.” Ryan said flatly, “It’s not the season for that sort of stuff.” Ryan reminded him.

 

 

“I know but that might help it. There isn’t any competition. We can charge like a buck to go in.” Jeremy suggested and suddenly the idea didn’t seem so unappealing.

“You should run it by Geoff tonight. We’re having another meeting.” Ryan said.

“Yeah, I should.” Jeremy hummed absently. Ryan smiled at him before turning back to the zombie that had brought him here in the first place.

“C’mon, Edgar – let’s see if we can get you fixed.” Ryan murmured as he hoisted the zombie over his shoulder. Jeremy raised his eyebrow at the engineer.

“Edgar?” Jeremy questioned as Ryan shrugged sheepishly.

“I like the name.” Ryan confessed.

“I’d always seen him as more of a Paul.” Jeremy added. Ryan shook his head.

“No, he’s definitely an Edgar.” Ryan said with a confident nod. Jeremy scoffed.

 

oOo

 

There was a different atmosphere in Geoff and Griffon’s living room this time around. Geoff and Griffon had arrived too late to claim their couch, staring mournfully at Matt, Kdin and Ray as they settled down. The two owners stood behind it instead as they looked out at their employees. Jack had claimed his armchair yet again. Barbara and Lindsay sat on either arm of said armchair this time. Michael stood solemnly against the wall, arms folded in defiance. Gavin stood beside his friend and couldn’t stand still. Joel was squatting beside the armchair – he’d grown tired of standing. Adam was using his taller friend as a chair. Matt and Ryan stood together, Edgar the zombie animatronic held between them. Geoff coughed. This was hard and he didn’t like it. He hated having to gather his employees together for anything that wasn’t good news. It felt like the end already and yet Geoff hoped that it wasn’t. With a sigh, Geoff gathered his courage.

“So, has anyone come up with any ideas?” Geoff asked.

 

 

The room was immediately overwhelmed with the chatter of voices. Nobody gave the others a chance to speak. They spoke over each other. Neither Geoff nor Griffon could keep up with it.

“All right, all right – stop!” Griffon cried out. The noise dropped immediately. Griffon blinked rapidly as her ears rang with the sudden silence. “While Geoff and I are both amazing people, we cannot understand you speaking all at once. One at a time, please.” Griffon pleaded exasperatedly. The second she’d finished her sentence, the room exploded in noise again.

“Enough!” Geoff shouted. When everyone had quietened once again, Geoff nodded towards Jeremy. He’d been the only one to wait patiently and not burst into noise.

 

 

“Well, this morning Ryan had to come and get Edgar here from the haunted house,” Jeremy began and everyone snickered, “He said that the haunted house had to be closed until it’s repaired because it’s a health hazard. So, I was thinking that while we can’t actually use the ride we could use it as a live action haunted house.” Jeremy suggested nervously. With everyone staring expectantly at him, he felt a little awkward. There was a silence as people mulled it over.

“But it’s not even Halloween.” Barbara protested. Jeremy shrugged.

“It was just an idea.” He muttered. He jumped when Ryan’s hand landed upon his shoulder.

“I personally think it’s a great idea. Joel and Adam could act in it, we all could really. You’re right Barbara, it’s not Halloween but as Jeremy said to me earlier – it means there’d be no competition.” Ryan elaborated upon Jeremy’s idea.

“Huh, not bad.” Geoff said as he wrote it upon a scrap of paper he’d brought with him.

 

 

Barbara spoke next, smiling confidently.

“Lindsay and I were talking and I said that I could sell my cupcakes. They’re pretty popular with our customers already and instead of making them every now and then, I could make them every day.” Barbara said. Griffon smiled just thinking of those cakes. She caught Michael’s eye as Lindsay spoke up,

“And, as I said, there should definitely be friend discounts.” Lindsay said with a nod.

“We’re trying to save the park, not get fat.” Ray interjected. Lindsay shrugged.

“Why can’t we do both?” She giggled. Ray rolled his eyes at her but he went ignored. Geoff wrote the idea down on his little paper.

“That’s a very good idea, Barbara. I agree with Lindsay though, there should definitely be friend discounts.” Geoff said cheekily. Barbara snorted.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

 

“You know it would be easier just to raise ticket prices.” Kdin piped up suddenly. From the look Geoff gave him, it was as though he’d suggested sacrificing a newborn child.

“No.” Geoff said.

“Well, why not? It makes the most sense.” Kdin huffed. He wasn’t exactly the most creative but he was logical. Kdin couldn’t understand why Geoff wouldn’t want to go through with it.

“The ticket price of our park hasn’t changed since we opened it and I intend to keep it that way.” Geoff ground out through grit teeth. Griffon rolled her eyes at her husband’s dramatic approach to the idea. Secretly, she agreed with him.

“It was just a suggestion.” Kdin murmured.

“It was a stupid one.” Michael spat from across the room. Griffon glared at him and Michael didn’t take it any further.

 

 

“That’s enough of that, boys.” Griffon warned. “I also have an idea that’ll help us raise money for the park.” Griffon said. Everyone’s eyes were upon her, waiting with baited breath. “I’m thinking about selling some of my art pieces, they’re pretty popular and-“ Griffon didn’t get to finish.

“No!” It was Gavin who interrupted this time. The Brit was honest to god pouting, arms folded and eyes sad.”You can’t sell them.” Gavin said.

“It’s an option, Gavin.” Griffon explained calmly. Gavin shook his head.

“No, it isn’t.” Gavin grumbled. Gavin looked beside him when he felt Michael gently cup his shoulder. Gavin allowed the other man to pull him closer in an awkward hug. The Brit’s pout didn’t relent, however, and Griffon looked away from the utter betrayal in Gavin’s eyes. There were several pieces the Brit had grown up watching her make and she knew he was just as attached to them as she was.

 

 

“You know…” Jack spoke up suddenly, “I have an idea.” He drawled out. Geoff rose an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

“That is?” Geoff barked.

“We could tie all of these things together. You said that we had about a month to raise the money, yeah?” Jack asked. Geoff nodded silently.”Well, that’s four weeks and there’s four seasons. We could have themed weeks. We could do spring themed activities in the first week and Barbara could make spring themed cupcakes and Griffon could carve something relevant.” Jack explained.

“Then in the summer, Barbara could make summery cupcakes. The refreshment booths could sell cocktails, non alcoholic and we could dress the animals in the petting zoo up in summer clothing!” Lindsay interjected excitedly.

“Then we could do the haunted house in autumn and dress up all spooky.” Jeremy cried out excitedly. Jack smiled as everyone started to get on board with his idea.

“For winter we could sell a variety of hot chocolate and have a santa’s grotto.” Barbara giggled.

 

 

“That… isn’t a bad idea.” Geoff grinned. Griffon laughed.

“I could carve some themed statues and sell them instead of the ones I have currently.” Griffon shrugged. Gavin brightened up at that suggestion.

“It would be just weird enough to attract more visitors to the park. We could have themed days where people who dress a certain way get a discount on their ticket or something.” Kdin added. Geoff liked this idea more than raising the price.

“For the week dedicated to autumn we could leave the park open for later and let people ride the rides in the dark.” Michael shrugged, thinking of how awesome Lazer would look at night.

“That’s a good idea, Michael.” Griffon encouraged. “So it’s agreed then, we’ll have themed fundraisers.” Griffon asked their little group of employees. She received a chorus of cheers in return. Here, in the comfort of her living room, Griffon could almost believe that they’d save the park.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a thing - tell me what you think about it! :')


End file.
